Steve McQueen On Whether Being British Was Of Any Influence On Making ’12 Years A Slave’

Steve McQueen On Whether Being British Was Of Any Influence On Making '12 Years A Slave'

I love the no-nonsense way in which Steve McQueen handles himself. It’s so rare to see this kind of forthrightness and outward displays of emotion from industry types – then again, I suppose he’s still something of an *outsider,* not living in Hollywood (he doesn’t even live in the USA actually).

But I especially love the perplexed looks he sometimes has on his face when he’s asked certain questions that just don’t register with him, or that seem like the answers would be obvious.

I recall the round-table organized by The Hollywood Reporter last year, during which he essentially called out and challenged his fellow white Hollywood directors on the lack of diversity in their casting choices. Watch it HERE if you didn’t see it.

Here, he even answers a question that has been asked before on this blog: whether the fact that he’s British was of any influence on his approach to the film, 12 Years A Slave, as opposed to if he were an African American filmmaker.

Here’s the press conference he and the cast of 12 Years A Slave gave after the film’s TIFF premiere last week. It’s worth watching. And underneath, you’ll find the press conference that followed the screening of Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, with that film’s key cast and crew, including Idris Elba and Naomie Harris.